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Ahmadiyya
/ʔaːħməˈdiːjə/
OED Definition
A Muslim sect founded by Mīrzā Ġulām Aḥmad in India, now centred in Pakistan, which is regarded as heretical by orthodox Muslims. Frequently attributive, as Ahmadiyya movement, Ahmadiyya sect, etc.
NB: Ahmadiyya refers to the movement while Ahmadi refers to adherents of this movement.
Variants
Qadiyani – named after the birthplace of Mīrzā Ġulām Aḥmad [1] – is an alternative term sometimes used to refer to Ahmadis in Pakistan. Ahmadis consider the use of the term Qadiyani pejorative and as such, it should be avoided.
A third term, Mirzai, is also sometimes used to refer to Ahmadis. This is also considered pejorative by the Ahmadiyya community and likewise, should be avoided.
Term Variants: Ahmadi, Ahmedi, Ahmediyya, Ahmediyyah, Qadiani
How this term should be used
The issue of how to tackle self-identification when it clashes with the views of others is a complex one.
Journalists should not be defining who is or is not Muslim.
It is well understood that interviewing a Jew who is part of the Neturei Karta movement as a representative of Jews on an issue where there is a difference between this group and mainstream Jews, without making this distinction clear, could be misleading for the audience. As such, this should be made clear. The same is the case for Ahmadis.
The term Qadiyani is considered pejorative by Ahmadis and as such should not be used.
Where relevant, context should be provided, including the fact that most mainstream Shia and Sunni scholars do not consider Ahmadis to be Muslim, Ahmadis identify themselves as Muslim, and Ahmadis are persecuted in certain parts of the world.
The Ahmadiyya movement was founded by Mīrzā Ġulām Aḥmad in Punjab, British India in the late 19th Century and although it is difficult to say for certain, there are estimated to be between 10 and 20 million adherents of the faith worldwide. The country with the largest population of Ahmadis is said to be Pakistan, where the community has been subjected to decades of persecution.
Since 1984, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Most mainstream Muslim scholars do not consider Ahmadis to be Muslims. Some Ahmadis also consider other Muslims to be outside the fold of Islam. Regardless of the above, Ahmadis define themselves to be Muslim.
This is not a particularity of Islam. Many Christian churches may view Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons outside the fold of mainstream Christianity. Similarly, Jews may consider Neturei Karta in a similar way.
